Haunted
by Mistress Reigns
Summary: All Seth wanted was a chance to start over after escaping an abusive relationship with his boyfriend, Jack. But his new apartment has some secrets of its own, including a certain occupant who decides right away he doesn't want to share Seth with anyone else... No matter what he has to do to keep Seth all to himself.
1. Prologue

_**Here Alone**_

"I don't know, Seth." Dean sits the box on top of the table, blue eyes darting about the room.

Seth glances up at his best friend, having paused halfway through taking a tape cutter to one of the other boxes. The only reason he even bothered to ask Dean is because the older man is the only person who has never treated him poorly for his actions or his mistakes in life. Otherwise, he would have moved by himself and never told a single soul about what happened between him and Jack. Seems best not to linger on the past he does not have the ability to change.

He cocks his head at Dean. "What is it you don't know about?"

"Just... Are you going to be okay out here? I mean, he isn't going to come after you, is he?" Dean asks, bracing his hands on the smooth surface of the table. As per usual, his gentle face is soft but serious. "I don't want you to get hurt because he found you and decided to hurt you."

"I'll be fine. Jack isn't going to come looking for me." Seth shrugs, turns his eyes down.

Jack has a possessive streak to be sure, but the likelihood of him coming all the way out here to find Seth is improbable. Though he definitely is the kind of guy who will come after what he perceives as his, Seth isn't what he wants and the last beating that led to Seth finally leaving was more a way to get rid of him than to correct his "bad behavior" like before. He has the chance to finally move on from that, and he is pretty sure his ex is looking for someone else to beat into submission—and into the "perfect" boyfriend. At least he doesn't have to live in fear of tripping Jack's unpredictable temper, and he can sleep at night without worrying about being shaken awake for _another_ round of sex when he didn't even want the first one.

Dean's hand drops onto his shoulder, and he resists the urge to flinch away. "If you say so."

Shaking off his friend's touch, Seth retrieves the blade and finishes cutting through the tape on the box in front of him. They've sorted the boxes by which room the contents will go into, and he wants to get the dishes up first because they're some of the most delicate things he has to deal with. He wants to get as much put up today as he can so he doesn't have to worry tomorrow.

"I just worry, you know. Can't help myself. Just want to make sure you're safe." Dean smiles at him and Seth manages one in return. At least he has people who still care about him.

"I know. I just... It's been rough." He starts unloading carefully wrapped and padded dishes.

Dean retrieves them and opens cabinets, starting to stack up plates. "I understand. You got hurt."

"Yeah. And now, that's not going to happen again." He watches Dean, then starts opening more boxes to keep handing him plates and bowls. "And I like this place. It's great for the price."

That is more of a relief than he is willing to admit. Despite being twenty-eight, he has very little money to his name and is relieved to know he isn't paying an arm and a leg for rent each month. He needs to get a job soon, which he plans on doing as soon as possible. At least, as soon as he gets everything put up and has a few days to recuperate and allow the bruises on his face to heal.

"The landlord must have a lot of money to rent this place so cheaply," Dean muses.

"Or maybe he just needs tenants and dropped the price to make sure he can get _someone_ to move in. Not that many people are here now, so." Seth picks up the box cutter and takes it to another box, trying to remember how many neighbors he has. The building only has three or four people.

Dean seems to consider the possibility before closing the cabinet doors and opening another set. "That might be it. I think they're starting to do that more in the city, too."

"Yeah. Money's tight right now." Seth sets the blade down, faint light winking off its surface.

"You've gotta bring Roman by to see this place at some point. He'd like the whole peace and quiet thing." Dean stops and leans back against the counter, bracing his hands on the surface.

Yes, Roman would like the peace and quiet of the place, and it was one of the many reasons Seth chose this apartment complex as opposed to one deeper in the city. He needs time away from the noise and the people, and this will give him the distance he knows will help him heal. It helps that he knows Jack will never think to look for him out here. Why would he, after all?

At the very least, Seth learned a lot about his ex while avoiding doing anything to set him off; he knows that Jack misses the obvious and won't look deeper than the surface before getting frustrated and giving up. A few phone calls to the few people Jack knows Seth talks to will reveal that none of them know where he is and that will be the end of it. Considering he only told Dean and Roman where he was going, and via them their girlfriends, no one else knows. He knows his best friends won't say a word, and Cathy and Shay loathe Jack to a dangerous degree. They might lure him into a trap and try to kill him if he asks where Seth is.

He tucks a stray strand of platinum behind his ear. "I'll invite you all over when it's fixed up."

"I'll let the girls know. I'm sure they'll want to bring you something." Dean combs a hand through his hair, the corner of his mouth tilting upward in a smile. "Like a housewarming gift."

"You guys don't have to do that." Seth reaches for the box cutter, frowns when he doesn't feel it.

Dean laughs softly and shakes his head. "I know, but the women do what they want to do."

True enough; Seth admires that about the two of them and wishes he can emulate them because he lets people push him around far too much. Though he isn't exactly sure why and wishes he knew so he could attack the problem at the source and deal with it, he knows he needs to figure it out now so he can move on with his life. It's something he needs to reflect on while he has this time to himself or he risks committing the same mistakes over and over again. At least now he knows he can call his friends to help him if he ends up in an abusive situation again.

"You're going to find someone, Seth. Someone good this time. I can feel it." Dean flashes a usually infectious smile, but the idea of being in another relationship any time soon is not acceptable. Not right now. "So, tell me what you need help with and we'll get started."

Seth glances around, eyes scanning the interior of the room. "Do you see the box cutter?"

"Didn't you just have it? I thought you set it down on the table." Dean pushes a few boxes aside, but the box cutter is nowhere on the table and Seth furrows his brows.

They take a few minutes to search the kitchen but the blade never reveals itself; only when Seth steps into the living room does he see it. On the end table beside the couch, the bit of orange plastic catches his attention and makes him frown. How did this get all the way in here? Last he checked, he didn't leave the room when he was talking to Dean... Did he? He shakes his head at himself and retrieves the blade, returning to the kitchen without comment. No reason to ask Dean if he left the room; the last thing he needs to know is that he's mentally slipping. Instead, he just slices open the next box and continues handing kitchenware to his best friend.

"If you need anything, no matter what time it is, you can call us," Dean says, and Seth glances up at him; he's familiar with these words now. "You'd have better luck calling Roman and Shay when it gets really late, but you can call us if you need us. And I don't want you to hesitate."

No hesitation. Right. Seth smiles and pretends to agree, but when Dean's back is turned, the smile drops from his face and he focuses on opening the boxes still left in the room. He knows his friends are here for him, but he needs time to himself. He needs to pick up the pieces on his own for a little while. And hopefully, this new place will give him the time and distance he needs to do just that.


	2. Chapter One

_**Shivers Down Your Spine**_

As soon as Dean is gone, Seth flops across his couch and breathes a sigh of relief.

They finished the kitchen with relative ease, but Dean insisted on helping out with the rest of the apartment and the job was far too large for Seth to do alone anyway. As much as he appreciates the help, he wishes Dean had gone home earlier because all he wanted since they showed up was a moment along. At least he finally has it. Time to himself, time to reflect on the fact he was finally able to make a decision to leave Jack and now he has his own place. Now, he has time to heal and time to make things right with himself before he tries to walk into another relationship. What are the chances he walks into another one exactly like the one he walked out of? Probably high, which is why he needs to take the time to mend himself.

It feels good not to worry about Jack flying off the handle at him for nothing. He smiles slightly at the notion before raking a hand through his hair, pushing the sweaty strands back from his face. Sweaty because putting together an entire apartment in one day is hard work even with help, and he needs to get in a shower before he goes to bed. Dinner, too, since he hasn't eaten since hastily shoving a bowl of cereal down his throat this morning while he waited for Jack to go to work. He can pick through the groceries they picked up on the way over here in a few minutes.

A hard _thump_ startles him, causing him to half-rise from the couch, but he sighs, annoyed at himself, and lies back down when he realizes the sound came from next door. Right, he has neighbors who only live a wall away and there's bound to be some noises that transfer from one apartment to the next. Nothing to worry about. Maybe tomorrow, he can clean himself up better and introduce himself to his next-door neighbor. He isn't even sure if people still do anything like that, but it might be fun and maybe he can find someone to talk to that isn't one of his friends. Spending all his time on his phone will get him nowhere.

Another _thump_, this one louder. What the hell is going on over there, anyway?

He pushes himself into a sitting position, stretching his arms over his head before yanking his t-shirt off and flinging it away from him. Damp with sweat and heavier as a result, the shirt is stifling and he feels so much better now that it's gone. Jack would have smacked him for daring to leave dirty clothes on the floor instead of putting them in the laundry basket, but luckily, Jack isn't here and he isn't going to be. He's never going to bust through the door with a list of demands and a ridiculous amount of time to complete those demands in.

That knowledge alone is enough to convince him this choice was the right one to make even if it means basically starting over from scratch. After all, he can't very well go back to talking to the mutual friends he and Jack shared because one of them will give up his apartment without thinking twice about it. Not out of malice, but just the same, he doesn't want to take the risk and will deal with only keeping Roman and Dean as friends until he feels better.

A third _thump_, quieter than the other two. Maybe someone is moving furniture.

He jumps when his cell phone rings, then chastises himself for his own idiocy and retrieves it; the ring tone alone reveals the caller. Besides, he has Jack's number blocked. "Hi, Roman. I'm surprised you waited this late to call me. Dean told you we were done, didn't he?"

Roman is the overprotective leader of their little brotherhood; he had wanted to snap Jack in half multiple times and only Seth's pleas to leave well enough alone ever convinced him not to go through with it. Of course, now, he might try and Seth has no desire to stop him. Jack has made his own bed, and he can very well lie in it—preferably in a hospital on life support, but Seth isn't too picky about the life support part. Just as long as he gets some kind of punishment for what he did, Seth will be satisfied. He believes in karma, after all.

_"Of course he told me. How are you? Has Jack tried to make contact with you?"_ Roman's voice is terse, sharp, to the point just like the man himself.

"I'm fine. And no, he hasn't." Seth smiles softly at the concern. "I'd tell you if he did, Roman."

A pause follows his words, then, _"I don't think I believe that, but I'm glad you're okay."_

Seth is hardly surprised Roman doesn't believe him; how many times did he lie to Roman about what Jack was doing to him before there just wasn't a way to explain away the bruises and welts littering his arms? It is nice to know that Roman cares enough to ask after him, though, especially when he knows how strained he made their relationship by lying to the big man as much as he did. Most friends would never stick around through that many lies.

"You'll just have to believe me then, won't you, Roe?" Seth teases, laughing when Roman sighs.

_"Unfortunately. Unless I start checking on you every day, which I am not above doing if I think it needs to be done."_ Forward. Direct. So very Roman Reigns. _"If I have to, Seth, I will. Just keep that in mind each time I call because if you don't answer, I'll assume the worst. I promise."_

Which is probably true. Either Roman will assume the worst or Shay will do it for him; either way, the two of them will beat down his door more times than he is comfortable with. Not that he doesn't love his friends, and not that he doesn't want them to come see him because he honestly has no better time than when he's with his friends. It's just that, right now, he needs a little more privacy and a little more patience—which is a lot to ask for considering the last time he required it, he was using it to cover up what Jack was doing to him.

He sighs and lets his eyes slip shut. "I understand, Roman. I'll pick up when you call."

_"Good to know you plan on cooperating. It's getting late. You should probably get something to eat and go to bed soon. It's been a very long day for you."_ And there Roman goes playing the mother hen, but it makes Seth smile to know his friend loves him so much.

"Planned on that and a shower already," he assures the big man, grinning to himself.

Another _thump_ makes him jump, and he makes a mental note to talk to that neighbor tomorrow and ask if everything is okay. It might just be someone rearranging furniture; he's done that enough times himself to know it's very common for someone to become dissatisfied and change the layout of a room or two. But this late at night? Ridiculous. He just needs to talk to the neighbor, find out what that thumping noise is, and if it's being caused by some stray action, politely ask for it to happen during the daytime instead of at night. Easy.

Roman sighs softly. _"Good. The last thing we need is you passing out from exhaustion."_

"Well, no worries because I'm not going to pass out from exhaustion. Dean was actually a lot of help and I really appreciated him being there for me." Seth stops and stares up at the ceiling, processing his own words for a moment before adding, "I probably wouldn't have gotten anything done without his help. But things are put up and I'm taking a breather before going to bed. I'll call in the morning to let you know I survived the night."

_"You'll also call me if Swagger tries to make contact with you so I can get there right away."_ Not a request, a command, but Seth's used to Roman's concern at this point.

He nods, then remembers Roman can't see him. "Sure thing, Roe. How're Cathy and Dean?"

It sounds casual enough and anyone else would assume he's just asking how his friends are doing—even though one of them was just here and he's now talking about him to the other. The thing is, he's not just asking how the two of them are doing. He knows they must be doing reasonably well to still be together, but part of him is legitimately nervous for Dean because this is the most serious Dean has been in a long time. He's talking marriage and children at this point, two things he never used to talk about before. And Dean is not exactly the kids and picket fence type of guy; he used to be a street brawler who went through two packs or more a day, who lived alone and beat the shit out of anyone who so much as glanced at him wrong.

Needless to say, Seth is worried for them. He wants them to work out because he knows Dean and Cathy are happy together, but in the long run, he doesn't know how well it's going to work out. He wants it to work out for the sake of their happiness—and because Dean has stopped smoking and getting into fights. Getting brought home from jail by your girlfriend is apparently sobering enough to inspire him to just stop being a moron.

_"Good for now. Things seem stable."_ Roman speaks slowly, carefully choosing his words. _"I think this situation in general has sobered him quite a bit, though."_

"I just didn't want this to have gotten Dean messed up again. I mean, I know it's not really his fault, but I don't... I just don't want him to go back to how he was." Really shitty way of explaining things, but it's the best Seth can do at this current moment.

Roman hums soft. _"Agreed. Dean happy and safe is better than Dean angry and violent."_

"At least I'm not the only one who thinks that," Seth mumbles, scrubbing a hand over his face.

_"You never were,"_ Roman reminds him. _"I just didn't feel like dealing with him constantly."_

"True enough. What about you and Shay? How are you doing?" When Roman doesn't answer, Seth frowns and sits up, eyes opening. His apartment has gotten really fucking dark. Must be getting late. "No. Don't hold out on me suddenly. Is something going on between you?"

Roman sighs again, this time more aggravated. _"She's just... She's quiet. I'm not sure why. She normally isn't quiet. I can't tell if it's because she happens to be upset or..."_

"Please tell me it's not what's going on between me and Jack. I don't want to cause trouble between you two." And Seth really doesn't. It'd make him feel even worse.

_"I don't think it's that. I can't be entirely sure, of course, because she isn't talking. Which is the only part that frustrates me."_ Roman pauses, and Seth wonders where Shay happens to be; she's not in the room, listening in. _"She used to talk to me about everything. Now, not so much."_

Seth combs his fingers through his hair; it's true. Roman's little girlfriend is vocal about everything and being quiet usually signals something has gone dangerously wrong in her little world. If she's not talking, then it's a big deal. "Just either give her time or express that you just want her to be okay and you're not sure what's going on with her. One of those will work."

_"I hope you're right, Seth. I do."_ Roman sounds quiet, morose. His version of miserable.

The fact either of his friends is struggling makes Seth's stomach hurt; life isn't perfect but he wishes it was where they are concerned. Roman and Dean have been there with him through everything from the very moment they became friends, and knowing that they're still working their asses off for happy endings even after finding the women to make that come true is hard to stomach. Things aren't working out even when they should be working out.

_"You need to get food and rest. I'll leave you to it,"_ Roman says abruptly, and Seth has the feeling the subject of their conversation has just entered the general vicinity.

He doesn't push, though. Not now. "All right, Roe. I'll call you in the morning like I said. Tell Shay I said hi and I'll let you all know when you can come over. See you then. Bye."

He hangs up the phone, sets it on the coffee table, and heaves out a sigh as he tries to process.

Dean is okay. Right now, Dean is doing just fine and that is good news. He isn't still hurting himself, too angry at his mother to think straight. For the first time, Dean might actually have a chance at a stable future that doesn't involve him in a coffin long before he should be dead.

That's good news, right? Of course. That's fantastic news.

If Dean and Cathy manage to pull this off and have a life together, maybe this will be a sign that Dean is better. He might still be against therapy despite what literally _everyone_ has said to him, but he's getting better anyway and Seth is proud of him. He sees Dean work to control his temper and he doesn't smell the scent of smoke cloaking Dean like a second skin anymore, so he's making an effort. It's beautiful to see him making an effort for the woman he loves.

Hopefully, that woman will be the same woman he ends up marrying.

And Seth likes Cathy. He does. She's funny and sweet, kind and compassionate, and even if she over-thinks a lot of decisions, it's just proof she's cautious and he likes that about her.

Cautious is what Dean needs. Someone who knows that his life has been hard, someone who thinks over things she wants to do for him and with him to take his feelings into account.

They will make it together if they really put forth the effort, and so far, they have. They've worked their asses off in the best way, and Seth applauds them for it. Real couples are like them; hard-working, there for each other, madly in love and yet not burning through the passion.

Roman and Shay, though... Seth has no idea what to think about those two. Their meeting was different in that Dean had approached Cathy himself at a diner when he'd caught sight of her and been mesmerized. It was cheesy and a little sweet. Shay, on the other hand, was Seth's friend first and met Roman when Seth finally got around to introducing them. He wasn't sure he wanted to at the time since Roman is a relatively quiet person and Shay is anything but. So he'd kept them apart, explaining that Roman had work when Shay asked him why she hadn't met him yet. He'd let her meet Dean and Cathy almost from the get-go; Shay and Cathy got along well.

He doesn't have a concrete time or date as to when Roman and Shay started talking to each other between the times she would come over to hang out with all of them. Seth hadn't asked, which is how he ended up being one of the last people to find out about it. And he'd found out in the most awkward way: movie night, watching Roman drop an arm around her shoulders and pull her close. He was sure it wouldn't last because while he personally liked Shay's boisterous attitude and her ability to talk about anything, he knew Roman wasn't the kind of person to tolerate that behavior. But somehow, they make things work. Except now. He's sure the only reason Shay is quiet is because she's upset about what Jack did and the fact Seth forbade her from going after him, but if it's more... She and Roman might be in for actual relationship trouble.

Not that they haven't worked through issues in the past, but this feels different and Seth has a twisty feeling in his gut about it. This might be more serious than Roman is letting on.

He sighs and shakes his head; no use lying here thinking about it, is there?

Instead, he pushes himself into the kitchen and makes himself a sandwich, not really in the mood to eat but knowing he has to after the massive amount of work he put in today. He more or less picks at it until it's gone, standing at his kitchen counter and feeding himself small pieces as he plays around on his phone. Then he wipes down the counter and heads for the upstairs bathroom, looking forward to the hot water relaxing away the tension in his muscles.

Another _thump_ sounds when he's on the stairs, but he just ignores it. Stupid neighbors.

While he waits for the water to heat up, he peers at his reflection in the mirror and traces the bruise on his cheekbone, still a darkish blue and on the path to healing. He isn't bad-looking. Maybe his nose is a little too big, but otherwise he thinks he looks okay, and the platinum in his hair really suits his dark skin. Shouldn't be hard to find a relationship again if he gets around to wanting one. Probably not for a while, though, if only because he doesn't want to deal with the drama or the questions that will eventually arise about his exes.

He only has the one ex that did this to him, but still. Seems safer this way.

Once the water heats up, Seth steps into the shower and scrubs the sweat and grime away from his skin, suddenly aware of how tired he is. Looks like he's not going to have to worry about a long and restless night before managing to snag sleep. It's going to come all on its own.

_Good._ He's tired of Jack stealing away the one escape he has, anyway.

As soon as he's reasonably dry and in a clean pair of boxers, Seth collapses across the length of the bed and buries his face in the pillow, breathing in deeply. He's already falling into sleep within seconds and succumbs without a fight, ready to catch up on so many lost hours.

By morning, he doesn't remember he didn't pull the comforter up over himself.


	3. Chapter Two

_**What Is Going On?**_

Seth has just finished breakfast and washed the dishes when someone knocks at the door. Frowning slightly—he doesn't have any visitors on the way that he knows off—he dries his hands off on a dishtowel and tosses it on the island to hang up later. The sound of knocking is awfully loud in the apartment, mostly due just to how quiet it is, but nevertheless…

He peers through the peephole before opening the door; he doesn't have one hundred percent certainty Jack won't find him if he tries, after all. But it's impossible to mistake the people on the other side of the door for Jack and he finds himself smiling as he unlocks the door.

"I didn't think you'd be by this early," he tells Cathy, holding his arms out for a hug when she smiles up at him. It's good to have her and Shay here; they've all been good friends.

The juxtaposition of the girls is marked even though they both happen to be brunettes; Cathy is all smiles and light and happiness as she steps into the apartment, looking it over curiously. Shay isn't frowning but the line her lips are pressed into isn't good and the air around her feels gray. Making a mental note to question Dean the next time he calls, Seth offers her a hug as well.

"You look like hell," he admits, taking in the dark bags under her dark green eyes.

She smiles wryly up at him before simply shaking her head. "Just lacking sleep. How are you?"

"Got plenty of sleep last night." He smirks at her. "Roman not doing his job at tiring you out?"

Shay wrinkles her nose at him and he laughs, his words having had the desired effect and at least she doesn't look upset at the sound of Roman's name. Still, he needs to get to the bottom of this and figure out what has disturbed her sleeping schedule. Cathy is the night owl likely to stay up until seven in the morning—she looks a bit tired now and it's just past eleven, so she must have turned in at her usual time and only gotten about three hours of sleep. But Shay sleeps at night even if she falls asleep late and she always gets enough sleep to make herself look awake.

But it isn't Roman. That much is good news. But it's also bad news because it means there is something else going on in her life that she hasn't disclosed to Roman for whatever her reason may be. That makes him nervous. Since when does Shay keep secrets from anyone?

"Are you going to show us around or do we have to storm your place ourselves?" Cathy asks, the teasing tone in her voice lightening his mood. Shay's issue needs to wait at least a few minutes.

Seth nods and leads them toward the kitchen; he'll have to hang the towel up because Shay _hates_ towels not being hung up. "Sure thing. This is the living room. I'll show you the kitchen to start."

He wonders momentarily why Roman isn't here and chalks it up to, likely, work; Roman works as a physical fitness trainer in the local gym and needs to be there as soon as the place opens. Considering some of the people he works with are legitimate health nuts, they get up with the sun and want to get in the gym as soon as possible so they can get in a half or full hour of work.

Seth sends a mental prayer up to the heavens as he steps into the kitchen; Shay hopefully won't notice the towel tossed unceremoniously on the island before he has a chance to hang it up on the oven's handle. If she does, he knows he's going to be in for a lecture he doesn't enjoy hearing any more than she enjoys giving. Just _please_ let him get his hand on the damned thing before—

He stops in the doorway, eyes fastened on the towel hanging neatly on the oven's handle.

Damn it, he _knows_ he didn't hang the thing up and he _knows_ he told himself to hang it up after he dealt with his visitors. He _knows_ this and he still wonders if maybe he's been so into his own head he did it and didn't realize he'd done it. It's possible; he's pretty sure he's done a lot of things on autopilot especially in the wake of the PTSD caused by months of horrid abuse.

"Seth, you're blocking the entire room from view," Shay says from behind him.

Shaking the thoughts out of his head—it's just a towel, anyway—he steps further into the room and flashes her a smile. "Sorry. This is my kitchen. I assume you'll both come invade someday."

Cathy and Shay step into the room and he tries not to let his eyes wander to the towel while they examine the room. When Shay suddenly tenses up and jerks around, her eyes scanning the doorway uncertainly, though, Seth frowns. She's far from the jumpy type, after all.

"Something wrong?" he asks softly, moving closer and gently laying a hand on her shoulder. Even through the sleeve of her (Roman's) baggy t-shirt, she feels cold. "Shay?"

She looks up at him, wide-eyed and a little shocky, before forcing a laugh that gives him goose bumps. "Sorry. I just… Cold chills. I can't _stand_ cold chills. But your kitchen is fucking ace."

Cold chills. Seth forces a smile and a laugh in return, but he can see in her eyes that cold chills did not just make her react like something had scared the piss out of her. If it has to do with whatever has made her lose sleep, then they definitely need to sit down and talk about it—preferably alone. But what if it's something else? Something… He doesn't even know, really.

"I thought you'd like the kitchen. We'll be making a lot of gourmet food in here," he says, but the silent communication between them is clear. _Something is wrong. Yeah, I agree with you._

He leads them through the rest of the apartment while keeping a close eye on Shay throughout the remainder of it. Everything seems relatively fine until they step into the bathroom; she stays in the room for perhaps half a second before declaring it _boring_ and hustling out of there so fast Seth knows something is wrong. He bites his lip and glances at Cathy, who just frowns at him.

"What's up with her?" he asks quietly, tracking Shay's quiet footsteps rapidly heading down the hall to the living room. "Roman says she's not talking to him and suddenly she's got a problem with my bathroom? Do you know if there's someone giving her trouble or what?"

Cathy hesitates, fingers lightly tugging at the ends of her hair. "Swear to secrecy, Seth."

"So we're not telling Roman what it is. Understood. I swear." He curls his hand into a fist and places it over his heart, nodding once to assure her nothing she says will leave his confidence.

"We were in the city, shopping, and Sami came up to us. Said he wanted to talk to her alone for a minute. Better judgment aside, she said yes." She bites her lip, trailing the tips of her fingers along the marble sink countertop. "Ever since then, she's been a little twitchy, a little off. I know he didn't hurt her—he didn't have _time_—but he said something to rattle her, I think."

It takes Seth a moment to figure out just who she's talking about, and then he feels the blood rush to his head. "Sami _Callihan?_ What the fuck? I thought he was, like, dead or some shit."

Sami Callihan is an old friend of Dean's and one Seth knows all too well even though their contact has been brief at best; Dean once never shut up about the guy. Then all at once, he stopped talking about him and mentioned something vague about an overdose before never mentioning him again. At the time, Seth assumed _overdose_ meant _dead_ but obviously not if the guy had found Cathy and Shay. And like hell it had been even _slightly_ coincidental. It was Sami.

"Why haven't you told Roman about this?" Seth asks because the question bears asking.

"Because I don't have any _proof_ and I don't even know where Sami is." Cathy sighs angrily, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. "It might not even really be that anymore."

It's a little reasonable but not reasonable enough and they both know it. "That doesn't excuse you from not telling Roman it happened. I mean, if it had been anyone else or she hadn't gone off alone with him, that'd be one thing. But it's Sami and she went off alone with him, right?"

"Right. But like I said, I don't know if it's that anymore. I don't know if she and Roman have had a fight or if she's gotten into a fight with someone else or if she's just mad you won't let her kill Jack dead." Cathy's voice goes sour when she says Jack's name. Seth can relate.

"Are things that bad between her and Roe?" he finds himself asking instead. "He said… Things."

Cathy considers for a moment before nodding slowly. "I was over at their place last night."

"And?" Seth leans his hip against the counter, wondering where Shay has gone off to.

"And they weren't really talking." Cathy pauses, glances in the mirror. "She didn't say a word."

The sudden, shrill shriek that suddenly echoes in the apartment makes Seth jump a half-second before he realizes there's only one person it could have come from. He twists around, nearly tripping over his own feet in the process, and bolts through the place as he tries to calculate the source of the scream. Not the living room. _Kitchen? Please._ He throws himself through the doorway, just aware of Cathy on his heels, and finds Shay standing at the island with one hand wrapped tightly around the opposite forearm. The box cutter is sitting on the counter and Seth _knows_ the fucking thing wasn't there when they left the room. What is going on?

Shay looks up at him as he rounds the island and pries her fingers away from her arm. The cut is shallow and not bleeding very much, but it still scares him. "What happened?" he demands, dragging her to the sink and shoving her arm under the faucet before twisting the cold tap.

"That's cold, fucker!" She grabs for the hot tap and twists it, mellowing the cold water. "I guess I had a micro-nap and scared the fuck out of myself. Brought my arm down on the counter."

"And cut it on the box cutter?" Cathy asks. Seth turns and watches her pick it up.

Shay nods quickly. "Yeah. I saw it on the end table in the living room. Brought it in here."

So the thing didn't get in here on its own—but why is Seth even entertaining the thought it had? He isn't stupid and inanimate objects hardly move from one room to another on their own. For that matter, he shouldn't be entirely surprised Shay brought it in the room with her in the first place; she keeps odd blades like box cutters in a drawer in her kitchen reserved for that purpose.

But micro-naps? Seconds of the brain shutting down in relation to a severe lack of sleep? That is vaguely terrifying. A person has to lose many nights of sleep before that happens, but it does make sense. When Shay does sleep, she has vivid nightmares and no doubt her micro-nap fit the mold just like her normal dreams. She needs to get home and get some fucking sleep _now._

"Peroxide and First Aid stuff in your bathroom?" Cathy asks. Seth nods. "I'll go get it."

As soon as she clears the doorway, Seth turns his attention back to Shay's pale face. She's much paler than usual, he notes. "Micro-nightmare, I take it? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Ghosts are not _real,_ Seth. Jesus Christ." She starts to scrub her free hand over his face, then stops and he realizes there's blood on it from where she grabbed her arm. Gently, he lets go of her arm and takes her hand, rinsing the blood from her white, white skin. "I just… Yeah, micro-nightmare. I don't even really remember what it was about. Just that it was really, really scary."

"This got anything to do with running into a certain person in the city?" Seth asks, listening very carefully to the sound of Cathy rifling through his bathroom. Secrecy, his ass.

Shay pauses, then sighs softly. "Sami? No. But… No, it's not Sami. Sami is… He's fine."

"Did I ask you how he was?" She scowls up at him. "No, I didn't. Is this about him, Shay?"

"I really wish it was, but it's not. Not really. But sort of. I can't put it into words. I'm just a little nervous lately is all." Well, how damn specific. Then footsteps, so Seth lets the subject drop.

He shuts off the water when Cathy returns to the room and they spend a few minutes playing doctor with Shay's arm. The unspoken tension in the room slowly melts away and Shay manages a real smile for him as he finishes wrapping gauze around her arm. "Thanks, Doctor Rollins."

"Not a problem. How about we get out of here and take a walk? The country around here is nice." And obviously some fresh air will do all of them more good than they'll admit.

"God, yes." Cathy tucks the First Aid supplies back into its white plastic box. "Just let me put this back in the bathroom and we'll go out. They countryside looked lovely on the drive."

As soon as Cathy leaves the room, Shay's hand fists in the front of Seth's shirt. "Promise you won't tell Roe I'm talking to Sami. It's legit nothing but I don't want him to worry about it."

"I promise as long as that dirty motherfucker doesn't lay his hands on you in a way that makes you uncomfortable." Which isn't quite _I'll tattle if you cheat on Roman_ because she won't. It's _I will kill him if he hurts you,_ and it makes him more than a little bit of a hypocrite.

"Deal," Shay says, and then Cathy is back in the room and Seth pauses to put the box cutter in an empty drawer that will be his odds and ends drawer before leading them to the door.

The lobby area is where he sees at least one of his random neighbors for the first time; his impression is _cute_ and _fuckable_ within seconds. Whoever he is, he's tight and toned beneath a bright blue t-shirt and jeans that cling to every inch of his delectable legs. Softly waving golden hair trails down the back of his neck to tease at the tops of his shoulders. His back is to them as he flips through a stack of envelopes in his hands, but he must feel Seth's eyes because he turns a moment later. Their eyes meet and Seth has to resist the urge to smirk or something stupid like that because the guy is _gorgeous._ Model material entirely. Full lips, bright blue eyes, beautiful face. Seth flashes him a smile now that he's been caught and walks over, offering his hand.

The hand that slips into his is warm and soft, skin smooth and like silk. And the guy smiles at him, cocking his head so a soft blond lock falls into his face, almost tempting Seth to brush it back for him. "You must be the new guy who was moving his stuff in yesterday. The landlord said we were getting a new tenant but I almost didn't believe him because no one's moved into this place in ages. I'm Tyler Breeze. I live in the apartment next to yours."

"That's me. Seth Rollins. Yeah, I kind of like how empty this place is. I like the quiet." He doesn't mention that he needs the quiet and even though Tyler's eyes linger on his bruised face, he doesn't ask question and that makes Seth like him more than he already does.

"Swing by when you get back," Tyler says, heading for the stairs. "We can chat if you'd like."

Seth nods slowly, then flashes a grin at Shay and Cathy as they head outside into the warm yet cool morning air. The three of them stare at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter because Tyler Breeze is nothing if not obvious, but Seth makes a note to make good on stopping in to see him because he's cute and Seth's more than up for a friend that might, possibly, later become more if fate allows for it. Not right now, not when he isn't sure he can make a stable and healthy relationship work, but later? Oh, yeah. He likes blonds especially and Tyler was too gorgeous to just pass up without another word. He'll regret it if he even tries. And besides, why not? Why not talk to someone he finds attractive that seems to be interested in him, at least for conversation? He's earned that much if he's earned anything at all.

"You have all the men drooling over you, Rollins," Shay says. "I am just a little bit jealous."

They walk along the gravel path that leads to the lake tucked into the trees and back, talking about nothing and everything as they usually do. Cathy takes over the conversation, painting images of weddings and children in Seth's mind as she relays what she and Dean have been discussing as far as their futures are concerned. Seth wants that for Dean more than he wants anything for himself because Dean deserves it, but fuck, can Dean really pull that off?

When they return to the building, he bids his friends goodbye and heads back inside, bee-lining for the bathroom. He glances at his reflection in the mirror, then combs over the entire room from his position at the counter. Shay might have had a micro-nightmare in his kitchen, but there is no excuse for how she ran out of this room. There is something she is not telling him.

Then he shakes it off and jumps into the shower, intent on being fresh and clean before he heads over to talk to Tyler. Even if they just end up as good friends or even just good neighbors, Seth plans on making a good first impression and making sure they have a good relationship.

And he doesn't pick up on being watched even when he shudders and goose bumps blossom across his skin midway through drying off. _Cold chills,_ Shay had said. He can relate.

* * *

_**A/N: I cannot be gracious enough for the support backing my stories at this moment. Thank you all so much. I am happy to introduce to you Shay and Cathy, the respective girlfriends of Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose. So in this chapter, there's a few creepy things and also the introduction of Tyler Breeze (be still heart) and a mention of Sami Callihan (Dean Ambrose's former tag team partner from CZW and signed to NXT as Solomon Crowe). But what do these two have to do with the story? I suppose you must wait for the next update to find out.**_


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